Wire severing apparatus



Jan. 26, 1954 c. HERZOG WIRE SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR GHERZOG ATTORNEY 1954 c. HERZOG 2,667,557

- WIRE SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-2 46 37 48 4 45 40 F/G.3 4T

v 12 I0 [2 I// l2 l2 .lNVE/VTOR CHERZOG ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1954 c. HERZOG 2,667,557

WIRE SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 12. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG 5 INVENTOR C. HE RZOG vBYE A. TITORNEV Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATE$ WIRE SEVERING APPARATUS Carl Herzog, Belleville, N. J assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 12, 1950, Serial No. 155,520

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to wire severing apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for electrically severing or burning given lengths from longitudinally advanced Wires.

In the manufacture on a continuous basis of a thermistor unit each comprising a bead of thermistor material with parallel lead wires extending in opposite directions from the bead, the beads are applied at suitable intervals to two spaced parallel wires. As a further step, it is necessary to remove a section of one of the wires betweeneach adjacent pair of beads and, since the wires are of fine gauge and very closely spaced, it is difiicult to perform this operation without damaging the remaining structure of the units.

7 An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is exceedingly simple in structure and highly efiicient in operation to sever portions accurately from a longitudinally advanced wire.

With this and other objects in view, the inventioncomprises an apparatus for severing wire having spaced contacts included in a circuit to be completed by a portion of the wire to be severed, the contacts being moved intermittently relative to the path of the wire.

More specifically the invention includes four pairs of electrical contacts having knifelike edges disposed at suitable given positions to engage given portions of parallel wires advanced longitudinally intermittently in a given path. The contacts of each pair are insulated from each other and included in an electrical circuit which is closed when the contacts engage their respective portions of the wires whereby the electrical energy passing through the wires between the contacts will burn the wires in two at these portions thus electrically severing the wires. The contacts are supported on a carriage for movement therewith relative to the path of the wires so that two pairs of contacts may engage only one of the wires and the other pair of contacts may engage only the other wire. The carriage is normally urged toward the wires by a spring, but constantly under the control of a cam which permits the spring to function to move the contact into engagement with the wires and positively moves the contacts with the carriage away from the wires.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: wherein p I Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, a portion thereof being broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 illustrates the result of using the apparatus to remove portions from the wires at given positions; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of the forward portion of the carriage including the pairs of contacts or severing elements.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig.4 which illustrates parallel wires rs and H spaced given distances apart and joined at spaced positions by beads l2 of thermistor material. Fig. 4 illustrates the result of the apparatus in severing alternate portions from the wires.

The apparatus disclosing the present embodiment of the invention includes four pairs of contacts or severing elements [5, i6, I1 and I8 mounted at cutaway portions ill of a carriage 20. The contacts of each pair are separated from each other by insulating members 22 and are provided with cutaway portions 23 to position their knife-like leading edges 25, 26, 21 and 28, respectively at given positions as shown in Fig. 5. The wires l9 and II are supported by suitable units 38 holding them in their spaced positions, these units being mounted on a support 3i movable intermittently to advance the wires longitudinally in timed relation with the actuation of the carriage 20 so that the beads I2 will be disposed between the pairs of cutting elements as shown in Fig. 5.

The pairs of contacts are so positioned and supported by the carriage that the knife-like edges 25 and 28 of the upper contacts [5 and i8 will engage only the wire [0 and the knife-like edges 26 and 21 of the lower contacts 16 and I! will engage only the wire II.

The pairs of contacts l5 and 16 are held in their cutaway portion IQ of the carriage by a clamp 35, a similar clamp 38 securing the pairs of contacts I! and I8 in their cutaway portion IQ of the carriage. The inner contacts of the two pairs at each side of the carriage electrically engage each other and are connected electrically by a terminal strip 31 as shown in Fig. 5. This connection is made by recesses 38 in the inner contacts of the two pairs at each side of the carriage to receive the ends of the terminal strip so that when the pairs of contacts with their intermediate insulating members 22 are secured in position by the clamps 35 and 38, the contacts are not only rigidly held against displacement, but the inner contacts are included through a terminal 40 in one side 6| of an electrical circuit having a source of electrical energy 42. Suitable members 43 insulate the central pairs of contacts electrically from the carriage 2!]. In the present embodiment of the invention, the outer contacts are electrically connected to the other side M of the circuit through a terminal '45 and a contact strip 46, the carriage 2i] and the clamps 35 and 36. The contact strip 46 ismounted in a groove 41 of the carriage (Fig. 3) and is secured in place by a screw 48.

The carriage 20 is mounted on a support 50 of a unit 5! for longitudinal movement between '3 guides 52 A plate-like member 55 mounted on the back of the carriage supports a pin 56 to which one end of a spring 51 is connected, the other end of a spring being connected to a pin normally urging the carriage-forwardlyto move the contacts into engagemenfiwiththe 'wiresiiarf distance controlled by an adjustable stop" 59* carried by the member 55 in position to enga ge the support 58. The member 55 extends upwardly above the carriage to be engaged by a rollrfill supported by one end to a cam lever 6| which is pivotally supported at GZI A cam 63 continuously driven by a shaft 64 from a power means (not shown) has high andlow portions 65 and'iili to alternately c ause mov'em'ent ofthe carriage with the contacts into and-out of severing position. A cam roller fifsupported byfthe adjacent end ofthe cant-lever- 6 I rides continuously upon" the pe riphery-of the cam:

Considering notv the operation'of the" apparatus, let it be assumed that the wire advancing means} na'melythe support a I and e the units 3 U, travels-intermittently intimed relation with the cyclesot operation of th'e cam 63 w-hereby during each cycleofoperaiori' of the apparatus, the wires will-be axlvanced to position two new'bea'ds I 2 between --the "pairs of cutting-' elements as shownin' Fig? 1-.=' While cameras are *a't' r'est in' this positio'n,--th'e low'portio'n' fi of the cam 63 will allow the spring 51 5 tofunction to force th'e carriage 2 for-wardly 'toward the -Wires I0 and II adistan'ce liii-iitd 'by the stop 59 at which time the-knife-like edges- 2 5 was; inclusive; of their respective pairs of contacts -willhave moved into electrical engageinent -witn-theirparticular portions of the wires I Wand I I including these portions of the wires 'in theelectrical circuits: The electrical energies travelling through the various circuits including' the *portions of the -wires I I) and I I between-the knife--1i=ke edges-of their'contacts will be suificien't" to burrr these' portions of the wires effectively severing thewir'e's"electrically without causing any"1at'eral'disturbance of the- Wire's--01 the thermistor beads. With this arrangement of the-contacts, the -in ner peripheries*of contacts I6 and l 'l will'sever 'a'- coinpleteportion from the-wire llyv'vh'ile' the"outer-- pai1s of contacts will-sever portions-fromthewirelc on the o posite Sides ofth'e' beads i2 'atthesevei ing pos'itio'n; There rare inthenext operation as may be observed by viewing Fig. 4, the inner=pairs of- 'contact's I Wand I T will again sever" the' complete portion-"Hom lies tween the beads I 2 wane the contacts l5' 'comple'te thesevering of the portion irom-the-wi're I0 uniformly-severed at one pointby the previous operationperformed the'ieon' by the cohtacts I 85 Furthermore,- the contacts I8 will performanother severing operationasbefor'e;

I-t is to be understood that the abovedescribed arrangements are simply illustrative of the application'of the principles of the inventioni' Nur'nerous other arrangements may beneadily devised by those skilled in the art whichjwil-lembddy the 'arincipleisof-the-invention and fall within the spi-r'it and scope thereof;

What-is claime'dis'z I 11 An apparatus for severing closely positioned wiresbonded togetherby heads at regularly'spaced intervals" til-produce a continuous string of beads each-havinglead wires extending in opposite-directions from the bead comprising-mova-bl me'ans to stipport thewiresand advance them longitudinally in" closely disposed parallel pa'tl'isf means supported for movement through operating cycles in a given path toward and away from the paths of the wires, a pair of contacts for each wire hav ing. wirev' engaging edges and mounted on said means supported for movement and spaced from each? other longitudinally of the paths of the wires-"andeachpair opposite its respective wire, arid circuits 'fo'rthe contacts supplied with electrical-currentswof' suflicient amplitude to burn the portions of the wire engaged by the edges of the contacts in each pair and completing the circuits therebetween.

2'. Air apparatus-for severing closelyepositicried wires bondedtogetheri by beads at regularly; spaced intervals to? produce: a'* continuous of beads each having 1ead wires extendingfimops posite directions-from the bead'comprisingamovablemeans tosupport the wiresrand advance'themi spective wire; circuitsftin the contacts supplied" with electrical currents of sufiicient amplitudes-tot burn the portions of the wire engaged -byi the edges of "the contacts meach paim an'dzrcompleta ing the circuits therebetweem and means -operi s able in timed relation with the Wire S11131063117111;

and moving means to move the saidmeans supported for: movement at predetermined mtervals to move the engaging edges of the'contacts into" engagement with their respective wires antenna: tently.

3". Anapp'aratus for removlng'alternate sections from closely spaced-parallel wires bonded together by" beads at regularlyispaced intervals to produce a continuous string of beads each-having parallel lead wires extending in" opposite'dire'ctions from the bead, the" apparatus comprising means to support" and advance the wires intermittently in a? given path" by a distance" equal to twice the spacing between the beads;awcarriagesupported for" i movement through operating" cyclestoward and away" from the path; four pairs'of contacts having wireeng'aging edges mounted on the *c'a'rria'ge in" two groups spaced'apartbyatleast one unit spacin of the b ead's on the-w1'res-* with one pair of edges? ofeach group disposed to: engage one ofthewiresadjacent one sideof" abead iand the other pair?" of I edges disposed 'toengagetlie other" wire" adjacent one' other side of'thebearli means for insulating the contacts of-each pair fromeach" other; a source cf ower'connectedto each air of contacts; and meansfor' reciprocatingcth'e' canriagein timedrelation tothe advance ment of the wires to: move the" wire engaging edges into" contact with the wlrestobbrn'out" the section of wire betweeneachupair of contacts: 

